Vison of Life...It speaks about my views towards what's happening around us, though many of the things represents Pune, a becoming Metro in Maharashtra,India yet most of us live in similar city life. In city day to day life all we face is problems around us; from traffic to water to slums to power supply & many more, but who has solutions? That's why the name
Vison of Life!
Sanjay Deshpande

Friday, September 30, 2016

Shouts of Silence!

“Silence
is one of the hardest arguments to refute”… Josh Billings.

Josh
Billings was the pen name of 19th-century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw.
He was a famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States, perhaps second
only to Mark Twain, during the latter half of the 19th century. I always
believe, the person who can make you laugh he only has ability to make you
think too! And my belief isn’t wrong with above words of Josh Billings, whose
major literature is about humor but look at the way he has described phenomenon
like silence!

The
reason I felt like thinking about silence is none other than the recent Maratha
Morchas all across the State, in a way its Silent Agitations’, a rare thing in
today’s world where loudest voice meant righteousness! For those who are not
from Maharashtra, Maratha is one of the thousands caste’s found in our Hindu
religion but mainly warriors from the times of Shivaji Maharaj & which is
backbone of State politics. Marathas makes major portion of the State
population & are mainly in farming as well politics, as no more there are
physical wars needed around. Yet in the rural it’s mostly Maratha families
which rule the village, though many of them are in relatively bad condition due
to less income from farming as well poor education facilities. As they come in
open category in reservation criterion, they don’t get govt jobs easily. This
makes most of the farmers’ suicide victims from Maratha community, at least
that’s what the leaders from this caste claim as well the statics too reveals
this fact. In addition to that the Atrocity act which restrains anybody from so
called upward classes torturing or abusing any person from backward castes or
class is wrongly being used against Maratha community only, is one more concern
of the Maratha masses or that’s what our media says so. On such background the
common people in Maratha community were silent for years letting the caste card
being played by the political leaders but somewhere like molten lava, deep
underground the unease was there! And suddenly the entire Maratha clan started
uniting & came up with silent march & what a way to show their anguish
or frustration or unrest about the prolonged issues which is hurting them! It
started with one march referred in Marathi or Hindi as Morcha in Parbhani &
slowly it became a revolution covering every major city in the State! Millions
of people joined without any personal invite & walked silently for their demands
which were unheard for years! It’s like witnessing Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic
“Dandi Yatra” days back though here no police force is needed to use to stop
these marches as fortunately till now we have free democracy in our country
allowing anybody to protest in public! At start the media as well our leaders
didn’t realized the volume & response these marches were generating but as
every city responded with increasing numbers of crowd then even the social
media started getting flooded with the comments which flowed in both ways!

I
am no good at politics & never used my writing for commenting on politics
but this is not politics; here millions of people of one caste or community are
gathering together & silently walking for miles to protest & disburse
peacefully leaving no signs of such huge gathering behind! That too happening
with a community which is known for its aggressive behavior & supposedly only
knows one language, that is of muscle power! Then again no single face is
calling the cards neither there is any political party, rather political big
names are made to drag behind the morcha & common names from the society
that too women are made to lead the march! Are we not witnessing something
phenomenal & this is what made me to share my views; as not just I too am
from some caste i.e. Brahmin, which doesn’t gets well along with Marathas is
what media has painted as well society thinks! My friends of all castes & religions let
me tell you frankly, I am a Brahmin & I have neither pride nor shame of it
as I took birth in a Brahmin family isn’t my choice or credit! We all took
birth in some family & that’s why we should not boost about what we are by
birth is my personal view & I am sure my many Maratha friends also will
agree with my logic.It’s not our family name or caste or
religion but what we do with what we are, defines us; is the logic I have derived
from my favorite movie “Batman Begins”!But then in this very country of ours we are first recognized by our
sub-caste, then the caste, then religion. Later by region & somewhere on
social media on 15th Aug & 26th Jan we are Indian
too, is a bitter fact! And in all this process we totally forget we are human
being too which is in a way our first introduction to the world!

Right
from enrolling our name to pre-school all this identification & then
tagging ourselves starts & with every passing years its tightly screwed in
our minds & hearts that you are of this caste & that religion & it’s
expected by you to be proud of it or ashamed too in some cases! I am no authority
to comment on reservation or atrocity but if you are allowing some caste some privileges
for surviving then other castes people are bound to ask for the same, is nature’s
law! In same was with acts like Atrocity, we want to protect some community then
the other communities are going to claim for their safeguarding from the very
same act is also equally true. So if studied closely then these morcha’s
doesn’t come as surprise; what is surprise is the way they are happening &
there is jealousy or fear or unrest or doubt, whatever we may call it
about the entire issue in other communities minds & of which target is
Maratha caste! And
sheer cause is our rulers as well opposition parties which jointly are supposed
to run the Govt (which the opposition often forgot), both are equally confused
about these morchas & what we don’t understand we fear it or we doubt
intentions of it, is a nature’s law! The root cause is the entire
system which makes reservation on the basis of person’s birth caste! Again, I am no expert on social analysis
but the reason for which reservation concept has been induced in education as
well in govt service, high time to check its outcome. Because if this
system making some caste happy at the same time its making hundreds of other
castes unhappy then somewhere something is seriously wrong. Because it’s not
just Marathas in Maharashtra but in Gujarat its Patel’s & in Haryana its
Jat's, whose demand are on similar lines, only difference is the path to
protest the Marathas have chosen! In Tamilnadu it’s said that reservation quota
has gone to 68%, again with due respect to all our rulers & law, how it can
remain a reservation when it’s covering majority of any system, is the basic
question comes to my mind! As with this speed entire 100% will be reserved for
some or other castes & then who is so called open category & what is
meaning of reservation in end?

One
of the aspect to the Morcha issue is majority of Maratha’s are in agriculture
based works, mainly farming. Barring few who has “bagayati” mean having a perennial
water supply for farming most are of “jirayati” means farming depending of
natural rains. It’s this spectrum which has been hit worst in last few years erratic
rain cycle & many farmers have opted way of suicide leaving back families
who have nobody to feed them! Every ruling party’s govt has given just promises about foreclosing
the debts taken by these farmers even knowing this isn’t the permanent solution
on the problem. No govt has taken any firm steps to build a system which will
ensure comfort & stability of life to the smaller farmers & the morchas’
has provided outlet for victims of such failed agriculture policies too!

Years
after years nothing changed & even having all prominent leaders from rulers
of their caste, yet a feeling started building up in minds of common Maratha
that nothing will change for him or her & no one cares! What we are seeing
is representation of this feeling in every person’s mind & it is every this
person whom we call “Common Man”; only thing is Maratha’s started protesting
first! Most
interesting part is in the era where any commotion or agitation like Morcha
every part has to spend money & accessories like Biryani & send
vehicles to gather people, here millions are coming on their own & with
their families, just to walk silently! I think we must take cognizance of this
outcry & by action.

Only
thing in parallel with protests which Marathas shoul understand is, reservation
isn’t going to solve their problems as look at the castes which has reservations
for years! Times are changing & by having few percent seats in govt service
or education institutes, what millions of people are going to gain? World is evolving
& other castes like Brahmins, Jains, Sindhis or Sikhs who never claimed (at
least till now) any reservation but changed themselves according to time. Try conquering
new fields, search new avenues of excellence, listen what language outside
world is talking in & adopt it, is the way for sustainable growth. This is
the way by which not just few families but entire Maratha fraternity will progress. In coming year’s survival
will be of only the community which will understand needs of masses. I have never
asked caste or religion to any candidate who has come to me for job, as all I
look for is his or her sincere approach to work & excellence in whatever he
or she is doing! As these are two qualities which will make you survive in any
situation whereas things like reservation will only cripple us taking away our
potential to perform better!Agreed
this is easy to say but to make it explain to families who has lost their head
because of succumbing to drought as well by govt’s wrong policies but we are
talking about a permanent solution & no reservation can assure that!

Social
media is buzzing with posts in support as well against of such morchas’, I too
shared my views which I am sharing here, just to make the readers understand
the fears or doubts people have as well the cautions Maratha masses should
take. Silence
is big power & every power has to be used with responsibility, is all I
will say to conclude!

Below are few of my
views on social media...

*Maratha
Morcha to Brahman Sabha to OBC March... I keep on receiving & reading caste
or religion related forwards/posts on social media; this is my reply...

See
the types of messages circulating on social media...I think we are going on
very wrong track which will lead to destruction of nation not just state. High
time for all political parties & so called caste leaders to come together n
decide country is above any religion & caste! Accept that reservation if
necessary then should be only on income that too genuinely
poor class who can’t afford good food or good education... nothing should be in
job but see that all gets equal opportunity to get good quality education &
let there be open competition as there only is some hope for better India!!

As
real problem in-front of country is not reservation but R & D about new science,
Housing & many more; employment all wants but no one try to become employer
& most important are threat to nature & biodiversity this country has.
We should focus our strength of unity for these issues... hope someday people
will understand but then there will be too late as by then thousands of species
like maldhoks & many trees would have gone extinct i.e. for ever gone! If
at all anyone needs reservation then its Trees!

Everyone
is either Maratha, Brahmin, Dalit, Baudha or something... where is an Indian,
leave apart a Human?

*There
is some cartoon in some news paper regarding Maratha morcha; here is my appeal
to all my Maratha & other friends...

Dear
Friends, I am reading all your comments & reactions on FB! I am a Brahmin
by myself but before that I am a human being as well Indian; what target you
all have set, don’t waste it by such cartoons! This is what is going to happen
to the strength & patience u all have shown in the morcha, remember
Gandhiji, he achieved what he wanted to by not fluctuating from the
target & path he was walking! Let people say or react the way they want,
you all be on your path which is for the cause we understood! One of the
friends mentioned about using sticks of flags in morcha as sticks now (bambu);
well, that’s what people want you to do, one wrong move & entire effect
achieved by morcha will be vanished! So think & don’t react to any negative
comment rather kill it by neglecting, is the way!

*As
expected Maratha morcha's success is either being en-cashed or criticized by
political parties though silently & then there are elements who wants
betrayal of it & simplest way is make Maratha’s react in wrong way so it
will be easy to prove them wrong! Need of time is wisdom & not hot head
& focus on what is cause... just ignore any party or an individual! So
please stop arguing with each other or reacting or blaming individual caste or
party! Let’s
not forget in this very State, Peshwa's were Brahmins yet they were right
hand of Shahu Maharaj who was Maratha & then there were Mohite's &
Shinde's who were Marathas yet fought under leadership of Peshwas! For years
Maratha , Brahmans & all Other Castes even Muslims have survived &
fought together without need of any atrocity or reservation as quality &
fighting spirit were only criteria’s... now if we starts reacting on what some
political party says or some news paper prints, then remember their interests
are different than ours! Just ignore is best way...

Incidentally on this background in Times of India I read that famous
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has visited India recently & got amazed saying,
“I am intrigued by how such a diverse population co-exists in India!” Well,
there is huge difference Tom between mere co-existence & togetherness! I
think high time for not just our rulers but for every Indian to understand the
term togetherness & play his or her role to live by it or else even in jail
also people co-exists, don’t they?